2
“You Were Dead in Your Offenses and Sins”
1 And these things include you.+ You were dead+ in your offenses and sins,
2 in which at one time you conducted yourselves according to the standards of this evil and rebellious age,+ according to the wicked ways+ of the ruler over the powers in the lower heavens,+ over the spirit that is presently at work+ among+ those who refuse to obey God,+
3 among whom we, too, all of us,+ lived our lives at one time according to+ the sinful desires of our mortal nature,+ carrying out the evil things that the mortal nature and our corrupt minds wanted us to do.+ Indeed, we were by nature rebellious sinners destined to suffer God’s wrath,+ just like the rest of mankind.
4 God, however, because he is so+ rich in mercy, out of his deep love for us,+
5 even though we were dead in our offenses, gave us new life with the Messiah—it is+ by God’s gift+ that you have been saved+—
6 and “raised” us with him, as it were,+ and “seated”+ us with him among the heavenly ones+ in union with Messiah Jesus,
7 in order to display in the coming ages the extraordinary riches of his grace expressed in the kindness he has shown us+ through+ Messiah Jesus.+
8 By grace, you see, you have been saved through faith; it comes not+ from you, but from God, as a gift,
9 not by deeds, so that no one may sing his own praises.+
10 We are his workmanship,++ you see, having been created anew+ through union with Messiah Jesus for good deeds, which God prepared long ago+ to be our way of life.+
“You Who Were Once Far Off Have Been Brought Near through the Blood of the Messiah”
11 For that reason, don’t ever forget+ that at one time you, the Gentiles of humanity,+ who are termed “the uncircumcised” by those who are termed “the circumcised” (that performed in the body+ by human hands)—
12 don’t forget how in that appointed time you were without knowledge of the Messiah,+ excluded from the national and religious life+ of Israel and unacquainted with+ the covenants of the promise, of hope devoid,+ and living in the world without any relationship to the one true God.+
13 Now, however, in union with Messiah Jesus, you who were once far off have been brought near through the blood of the Messiah.+
14 He himself, you see, is our peace, the one who has united the two in a single fellowship+ and broken down the very+ dividing wall that separated us,+ the hostility,
15 having made of no effect,+ through his crucified body,+ the Torah of commandments consisting of ordinances,+ so that the two he could create, in union with himself, into one new man,+ making peace,
16 and reconcile both groups to God in one body through his death+ on the cross,+ having killed the hostility there.+
17 Indeed, when the Messiah+ came, he announced peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near,+
18 as evidenced by the fact that+ through him we have both received the right to come,+ through one and the same Spirit, before the Father.+
19 So then, you Gentiles+ are no longer outsiders and foreign residents with restricted privileges,+ but fellow-citizens with the Lord’s holy people+ and members of God’s household,
20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Messiah Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
21 in union with whom the whole building,+ being joined together, develops into a holy sanctuary in union with the Lord;
22 in union with whom you Gentiles,+ too, are being built together with us+ into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.